12:40

There is a contrast in this verse. The scribes cheated widows. Then these same scribes prayed long prayers to impress people. Express this contrast clearly in your language. For example:

They rob widows by taking their houses and then say long prayers to make themselves look good. (God’s Word)
-or-
But they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property, and then, to cover up the kind of people they really are, they make long prayers in public. (New Living Translation, 1996 edition)

12:40a

They defraud widows of their houses: The clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as They defraud widows of their houses is literally “they devour widows’ houses.” This is a Greek idiom. The idiom means that the scribes often tried to get as much money as they could from widows. They probably persuaded the widows to give them generous gifts. They used their status as scribes for their own profit, and this resulted in harm for some poor widows.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

They take advantage of widows and rob them of their homes (Good News Bible)
-or-
They rob widows by taking their houses.
-or-
But they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property. (New Living Translation, 1996 edition)

widows:Women whose husbands have died are called widows.

houses: The word houses is a figure of speech. It includes not only the homes of the widows, but their money and other possessions too.

12:40b

and for a show make lengthy prayers: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as show means “pretense.” The scribes were pretending to be righteous and to love God. They prayed long prayers in public so that people would hear them. The teachers did this in order to impress people so that the people would think that the teachers were righteous.

make lengthy prayers: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as make…prayers is literally “praying.” It refers to speaking to God. The phrase make lengthy prayers indicates that when the teachers prayed in public, they prayed for a long time. In some languages it is necessary to translate prayers as a verb. For example:

pray for a long time

Some languages may use different words to refer to specific kinds of prayer, such as requests, thanks, or praise. Here you should use a word or expression that has a general meaning.

12:40c

These men will receive greater condemnation: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as These men will receive greater condemnation includes an implied comparison. The clause implies that other people will receive less condemnation. In some languages it may be necessary to make the comparison explicit. For example:

They will be punished more severely than other people.

In some languages it may be necessary to indicate who will punish the scribes. If that is true in your language, you should indicate that God will punish them. For example:

God will punish them more severely than he will punish others.

These men: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as These men is literally “these.” It refers to the scribes who cheat widows and make long prayers.

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